Process for cleaning natural and synthetic fibrous materials



United States Patent 3 401 007 PROCESS FOR CLliANlNG NATURAL ANDSYNTHETIC FIBROUS MATERIALS Helmut Hoffmann, Steinau, Kreis,Schluchtern, and Wilhelm Melloh, Salmunster, Germany, assignors to RewoChemische Fabrik GmbH, Schluchtern, Germany, a corporation of Germany NoDrawing. Filed Jan. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 427,462 Claims priority,applic1tio;11(grmany, Jan. 31, 1964,

5 Claims. (31. 8-137) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Natural and syntheticfibrous materials, especially carpets and floor coverings, are cleanedwith an aqueous solution containing a detergent composition whichconsists of 70-30% of a detergent substance selected from fatty alcoholsulfates and alkyl benzene sulfonates, and 30-70% of a derivative ofsulfosuccinic acid of the type described. Said aqueous solution dries toa powdery residue which can be separated from the fibrous material by amechanical procedure.

This invention concerns improvements in or relating to the cleaning ofmaterials. It deals in particular with a process for the cleaning offibrous materials, both natural and synthetic, as well as woven, plaitedor like fabrics manufactured therefrom, including especially carpets andother floor coverings.

It is known to clean carpets with so-called dry residue shampoos. Thismethod of cleaning is performed most frequently in situ, using anaqueous detergent solution to generate a foam that is applied to thecarpet and permitted to dry so as to form a more or less dry, powderyresidue of detergent substance which, together with any dirt detachedfrom the carpet, is then removed from the carpet by brushing, vacuumtreatment or any other suitable method.

It is however also well recognized that carpets cleaned by this method,using the foam of common sulphated and sulphonated detergent substancessuch as sodium fatty alcohol sulphates and sodium alkylarylsulphonates,are susceptible to very rapid resoiling. Obviously carpets areparticularly liable to soiling by virtue of their use as floor Icoverings, but in the case under discussion the tendency to resoilingismuch accentuated by the persistent, slightly damp residuum left behindafter removal of the dry residue of these detergents, which promotes thepick-up of fresh dirt. Particularly in the case of synthetic fibres andfabrics manufactured therefrom rapid resoiling can also perhaps beattributed sometimes to the build-up upon the fibres of electrostaticcharges which attract dirt particles.

We have now found that by using a novel combination of detergentsubstances in the cleaning of both natural and synthetic fibres as wellas of woven, plaited and like fabrics including carpets and other floorcoverings manufac tured therefrom, the tendency of these fibrousmaterials after they have been cleaned to become resoiled is veryconsiderably reduced relative to anything previously attainable.

According to the invention there is therefore provided a process forcleaning natural and synthetic fibrous materials in which the fibrousmaterials are cleaned with a dry residue shampoo wherein the aqueousdetergent solutions employed comprise from 70% to 30% of one or moresalts of sulphated or sulphonated detergent substances and the balanceof from 30% to 70% of one or more derivatives of sulphosuccinic acidcapable of drying 3,401,007 Patented Sept. 10, 1968 to form a dryresidue conforming to the general structure formula:

in which R indicates a fatty acid residue or fatty alcohol residue, Xindicates an alkylene grouping joined respectively to R and to thesulphosuccinic residue via amidetype or ester-type linkages, one of Yand Z is hydrogen and the other is the group --SO M, and M indicates anydesired salt-forming metal cation of Groups I, II and III of thePeriodic Table.

The inclusion of from 30% to 70% of the derivatives of sulphosuccinicacid of the above general formula in the conventional sulphated orsulphonated detergents has the remarkable and unpredictable effect ofensuring that the detergent solution as a whole dries to give a soliddry residue capable of easy and complete removal by brushing or suction,without leaving behind the damp, more or less greasy residue, whichhitherto has caused trouble by promoting the redeposition of dirt.Furthermore, there is also some reason to believe that the presence ofthe sulphosuccinic acid derivatives of the above general formula in thedetergent solution which forms the basic of the dry residue shampoosused in the process of the invention has some effect in reducing theextent to which the fibre cleansed with the shampoo becomeselectrostatically charged as compared either with uncleansed fibre orwith fibre cleansed only with a conventional sulphated or sulphonateddetergent. Finally it is also worth mention that the inclusion of thesulphosuccinic acid derivatives of the above-specified general formuladoes not adversely affect the cleansing action of the conventionaldetergents but on the contrary this can be very considerably enhanced bytheir presence.

The process of this invention is valuable quite generally for thecleaning of fibres and/or woven, plaited or like fabrics manufacturedtherefrom, including carpets and other floor coverings, and thus forinstance it is applicable with advantage to the cleaning of naturalfibres such as wool, silk or the like, as well as woven, plaited,knitted or other fabrics made therefrom. The process of the invention ishowever, particularly outstanding when put to use in the cleaning offloor coverings such as carpets, mats and rugs, which often today aremade of synthetic fibres, because these are exceptionally badly exposedto soiling and because the conventional cleaning agents used hithertohave for the stated reasons failed to produce a really satisfactory andlasting cleansing effect. It will be noted that only the specifiedsulphosuccinic acid derivatives can be used in the process of thisinvention, since in fact only those of the above general formula leave adry deposit that can be completely removed without leaving moistresidue.

The preferred sulphosuccinic acid derivatives of the above generalformula for use in the process of this invention are the salts of fattyacid alkylolamide sulphosuccinic acid half-esters and the salts ofsulphosuccinic acid half-esters of fatty alcohols. Especially preferredare the sulphosuccinic acid half-esters of fatty acid alkylolamides orfatty alcohols.

The sulphosuccinic acid derivative(s)) concerned may be included eithersingly or in any desired combination, and it is in fact preferred to usea combination of two or more sulphosuccinic acid derivatives of theabove general formula.

Tests have shown that, While the process of the invention workssatisfactorily so long as the proportions of the two detergents in theaqueous detergent solution are Within the range of 30-70% to 70-30%, thegreatest effectiveness is achieved when the sulphosuccinic acidderivatives of the above general formula constitute from 40% to 50% ofthe total detergent, and indeed preferably the two components should bepresent in substantially equal amounts.

The aqueous detergent solutions used in the process according to theinvention, which usually should contain from to of detergent substances,may obviously also include any of the other substances conventionallyadded to sulphated or sulphonated detergents so as to achieve particularresults, such as for example foamstabilization using the appropriateagents for that purpose, preferably fatty acid alkylolamides and thelike.

In order that the invention may be well understood the followingexamples will now be given, though by way of illustration only:

EXAMPLE 1 3 parts by weight of the sodium salt of sulphated cocoanut oilfatty alcohols and 7 parts by weight of the sodium salt of thesulphosuccinic acid half-ester of cocoanut oil fatty alcohols are mixedtogether and dissolved in 90 parts by weight of hot water to give aclear aqueous solution. The resultant aqueous 10% detergent solution wasused as a dry residue shampoo to clean carpets and showed excellentcleansing power while drying to a powder which could be completelyremoved by brushing and/or suction without leaving any moist residue.

EXAMPLE 2 3 parts by weight of the sodium salt of lauric alcoholsulphate are dissolved in 90 parts by weight of hot water followed by 7parts by weight of the sodium salt of a fatty acid alkylolamidesulphosuccinic acid half-ester. The resultant aqueous 10% detergentsolution was then formulated as an aerosol, which was sprayed on to thecovering of a couch. The resultant dry foam was then removed bysponging. Excellent cleansing was thus achieved, and no damp residue wasobservable after cleaning.

EXAMPLE 3 4 parts by weight of sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate and 6parts by weight of the sodium salt of the sulphosuccinic acid half-esterof lauric acid monoethanolamide are mixed together, then dissolved bystirring in 90 parts by weight of hot water to yield a 10% aqueousdetergent solution. This solution was used to clean carpets and showedexcellent cleaning power. The cleaned fibres dried completely withoutretaining any moist residue favour able to resoiling.

EXAMPLE 4 5 parts by weight of sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate, 2.5parts by weight of the sodium salt of the sulphosuccinic acid half-esterof myristic acid monoisopropanolamide and 2.5 parts by weight of thesodium salt of the sulphosuccinic acid half-ester of lauryl alcohol weremixed with 90 parts by weight of water and heated until completelydissolved. The resultant 10% aqueous solution was used to clean a carpetformed of polyamide fibres, and showed excellent cleaning power. Thecleaned fibres dried completely, without retaining any moist residuefavourable to resoiling.

While for reasonable brevity only the above examples have been set outhere to illustrate the invention, it is to be noted that experimentsshow that any of the conventional sulphated and sulphonated detergentsubstances used in conjunction with any of the sulphosuccinic acidderivatives of the general formula specified herein, in the necessaryproportions, will yield a dry residue shampoo free from the excessivetendency to resoiling which has marred the existing shampoos.

We claim:

1. A process for cleaning natural and synthetic fibrous materialscomprising subjecting said materials to treatment with a shampoo capableof drying to a powdery residue, said residue being removed after dryingby a subsequent mechanical procedure as by brushing or by vacuumsuction, in which the shampoo is an aqueous solution of a detergentcomposition consisting essentially of %30% of a compound selected fromthe group consisting of the sodium salt of the sulfosuccinic acid halfester of cocoanut oil fatty alcohols, the sodium salt of thesulfosuccinic half ester of lauric acid monoethanolamide, the sodiumsalt of the sulfosuccinic acid half ester of myristic acidmonoisopropanolamide and the sodium salt of the sulfosuccinic acid halfester of lauryl alcohol or mixtures thereof and 30%70% of a compoundfrom the group consisting of the sodium salt of sulfated cocoanut oilfatty alcohols, sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate.

2. A process as defined in claim 1 in which the detergent compositionconsists of a mixture of the sodium salt of the sulfosuccinic acid halfester of cocoanut oil fatty alcohols and the sodium salt of sulfatedcocoanut oil fatty alcohols.

3. A process as defined in claim 1 in which the detergent compositionconsists of a mixture of the sodium salt of the sulfosuccinic half esterof lauric acid monoethanolamide and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate.

4. A process as defined in claim 1 in which the detergent composition isa mixture consisting of equal parts by weight of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate and a mixture consisting of equal parts of the sodium salt ofthe sulfosuccinic acid half ester of myristic acid monoisopropanolamideand the sodium salt of the sulfosuccinic acid half ester of laurylalcohol.

5. A process for cleaning natural and synthetic fibrous materials,comprising subjecting said materials to treatment with a shampoo capableof drying to a powdery residue, said residue being removed after dryingby a subsequent mechanical procedure as by brushing or by vacuumsuction, in which the shampoo is an aqueous solution containing froml0%15% of a detergent composition consisting essentially of 40%50% of acompound selected from the group consisting of the sodium salt of thesulfosuccinic half esters of cocoanut oil fatty alcohol, the sodium'salt of the sulfosuccinic half ester of lauric acid monoethanolamide,the sodium salt of the sulfosuccinic acid half ester of myristic acidmonoisopropanolamide, and the sodium salt of the sulfosuccinic acid halfester of lauryl alcohol or mixtures thereof, the remainder of thedetergent composition being selected from the group consisting of thesodium salt of sulfated cocoanut oil fatty alcohols, sodium laurylsulfate and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,327,183 8/1943 Flett 2521612,956,025 10/1960 Lew 252-l61 2,976,112 3/1961 Yonkers et al 8l37 X3,206,408 9/1965 Vitaliz et al. 252161 MAYER WEINBLATT, PrimaryExaminer,

